The PJD Poised To Emerge As Big Winner Of Morocco’s Lesgislative Elections

Rabat – The information coming from Morocco’s Ministry of Interior points to the victory of Party of Justice and Development (PJD) over political parties, after the legislative elections held on Friday in the country.

In a press briefing held today in Rabat, the Minister of Interior, Taeb Cherkaoui, said that the PJD won 80 seats out of 288 seats whose results have been confirmed.

The Istiqlal party came second with 45 seats, followed by the National Rally of Independent (RNI) led by the outgoing Minister of Economy and Finance Salahdine Mezouar, with 38 seats.

In a declaration to the press later on Friday, Abdelilah Benkirane, Secretary General of the PJD said that “Based on the information that we have received so far, we are set to exceed our expectations. I think we are on course to obtain between 90 and 100 seats “.

The PJD  won the first position in many big urban areas of the country, such as Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Marrakech, Tangier and Tetouan and Agadir.

In an interview with Morocco’s TV Channel 2M, Abdelilah Benkirane, leader of the PJD ,said that his party “will first and foremost play a political role. We have to keep in mind that the Arab world is going through a critical juncture and Morocco chose to do its  own revolution, while preserving the monarchy and its stability and bringing about a real change.”

“I congratulate the PJD for this win and I would like to say as well that Morocco won in these legislative elections,” sports and youth minister Moncef Belkhayat and one of the leaders of the National Rally of Independents party told AFP.

In the 2007 elections, the PJD came in second as it obtained 47 seats, while the first place went to the Istiqlal party, which won 52 seats.

In a briefing with the press after the closing of polling stations, Morocco’ Interior Minister, Taieb Cherkaoui, said that voter turnout in today’s elections reached about 45% at the national level, according to the latest available information.

The polls “took place under normal conditions and a under a climate of mobilization marked by fair competition and respect of electoral laws”, Cherkaoui said in a press briefing after the elections.

Parliamentary election, held on Friday in Morocco, took place in a “calm atmosphere, (and) voters were able to choose freely” between the different political parties, said Saturday, at a press conference in Rabat, Francine John Calame, member of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

The PJD, which enjoys widespread support in big cities, is poised to become the second moderate Islamist party to lead a North African government, after the Ennahda party in Tunisia won in landslide victory last month. But the PJD will need to join in a collation with other parties in order to form a government. During the campaign for the elections, the leaders of the  party hinted at the possibility that they might form a coalition with the Democratic Coalition (Koutla) led by the outgoing Prime Minister, Abbas el Fassi, and composed of the Istiqlal party, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS).

Provisional results of 288 seats of the 305 local constituencies

The provisional results provided by the Ministry of Interior are as follows:

The party of Justice and Development: 80 seats

The Istiqlal party 45 seats

The National rally of Independents: 38 seats

Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP): 29 seats

The Popular Movement: 22 seats

The Constitutional Union: 15 seats

The Party of Progress and Socialism: 11 seats

Labor Party: 02 seats.

Renewal and Equity Party: 02 seats.

Democratic and Social Movement: 02 seats.

Environment and Sustainable Development Party: 02 Seats.

Al Ahd Addimocrati Party: 02 seats.

The Front of Democratic Forces: 01 seat.

Party of Action: 01 seat.

Unity and democracy party: 01 seats.

Freedom and Social Justice Party: 01 seat.

Green left party: 01 seat

Morocco World News with Agencies